


like it's only you and me

by coffeewordangel



Series: tumblr drabbles [13]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Domesticity, M/M, Slice of Life, dog dads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-28
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-08-11 16:34:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7899910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeewordangel/pseuds/coffeewordangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Domestic Ziam with dogs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	like it's only you and me

Morning workout and shower accomplished, Liam has been sitting in front of the soundboard in their small studio for the past half hour mostly just messing around. He doesn’t know if he’ll actually accomplish anything today, but there’s something soothing about it anyway. Behind him he hears the soft shuffle of socked feet and the tell tale click of a herd of little claws on the hardwood floor.

“Good morning,” he greets, half turning to smile up at a dressed but still sleepy Zayn.

“‘Morning beb,” Zayn replies, his accent always thicker when he’s just woken up. “Whatcha doin?”

Liam shrugs. “Not much. Just playing.”

Zayn reaches over Liam’s shoulder to snag his cup of tea and take a sip. He makes a face. “Too much sugar.”

Liam hides a smile. It’s a ritual that’s been going on for years. “Yours is in the kitchen.”

Zayn takes the seat next to Liam and leans in to hook his chin over Liam’s shoulder. His facial hair scrapes gently against Liam’s neck, sending a subtle shiver down his spine. Liam glances to his left to see Zayn’s eyelids drooping closed. He chuckles and nudges him softly in the ribs.

“Seriously, Z, go get your tea.” Liam gestures toward the soundboard. “You want a go?”

“Nah.” Zayn shakes his head and slowly rises to his feet. “Gonna read maybe.”

“Alright. Take the beasts with you, yeah? They always want to jump up on here.”

“Yeah, okay.” Zayn laughs and drops a kiss on Liam’s temple. “C’mon, kids, let’s go to the kitchen.”

All three dogs excitedly follow Zayn out of the room, jumping on each other on the way out. Liam doesn’t know if they know the word kitchen or if they just tend to follow whoever is up and moving at the moment. Either way, it’s kind of adorable.

It doesn’t take long for the room to feel too empty and for the restlessness to settle in. Liam sometimes feels he’s no better than the dogs with the way he needs to seek Zayn out and just be in his presence when they’re both home at the same time. There’s something soothing about just sharing space with him, whether they’re talking or not. It’s like curling under a pile of blankets in the winter or stepping into a hot shower after a long workout.

Zayn is stretched out on the sofa with his book by the time Liam finds him. Liam takes a moment to appreciate Zayn’s unstyled hair and black framed glasses and how soft he looks like this. It’s rare that they get the chance to just relax together without one of them running off for an appointment or a flight or a meeting. Rumpled, relaxed Zayn is always his favorite.

Liam settles in on the opposite end of their gigantic sofa that they spent ages shopping for because finding one that was long enough for this and wide enough for joint naps and cushy but not too cushy was practically impossible. He tangles their legs together, feet tucked under Zayn’s calves because Liam is too comfortable to go get socks now. Zayn smirks at him and pokes at Liam’s thighs with his bony toes.

“Ow,” Liam complains half-heartedly.

“There’s literally a blanket right next to you,” Zayn points out.

Liam sticks his tongue out childishly. “You’re more comfortable.”

“You say that now, but you’ll be whining about your feet falling asleep in an hour.”

“Then I’ll use the blanket in an hour,” Liam responds, shoving his feet further under Zayn’s legs.

Zayn rolls his eyes and laughs. “I’ll remind you of that when you start complaining.”

He returns to his book, still grinning, and Liam watches him for a moment just because. If Liam could spend forever exactly like this he thinks he’d be content. Just him and Zayn and their menagerie, locked away from the world in a universe of their own design.

Outside, rain batters against the windows steadily. The gloom of the darkened sky makes the house feel cozier somehow, a haven against the elements. Liam feels drowsy and happy, for once not feeling like he should be up and doing something. At his elbow, Marley whines softly. Liam looks down to three sets of puppy eyes staring up at him.

“You guys want up here?” he asks.

“You’re gonna regret that,” Zayn comments idly.

Liam ignores him and pats at his lap. Zayn lifts his book up without taking his gaze from it to allow Harley to gracefully jump into his lap despite his bulk. Liam on the other hand gets multiple pointy dog feet to the groin for his trouble.

“Fuck!” he hisses.

Zayn laughs at him. “You alright?”

“I’m fine,” Liam grumps. “You didn’t want kids the natural way, right?”

“I don’t have the hips for it,” Zayn shoots back with a raised eyebrow.

“Then we’re good,” Liam says. He glares at the dogs. “You guys are jerks.”

Loki licks his chin in apology before settling over Liam’s chest while Marley stretches across their legs. It’s a tight fit, but it works somehow, blanketing him in dogs. The added warmth lulls him into closing his eyes. A quiet joy curls in his chest as he lets the patter of the rain and the soft sound of Zayn turning the pages of his book drag him into a doze.


End file.
